Ice-creeper.



v J. SPERLING.

ICE GREEPER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1912.

1 ,047,7 1 6. Patented Dec. 17, 1912.

'- ITNESSES UNITED sTA'rns PATENT oFricE. I

i JOHN SPERLING, or C EVELAND, OHIO.

IcE-CREEPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may cOnGcM Be it' known that I, JOHN SPERLING, a citizenof the United States of America, residing at Cleveland, in the county ofGuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Ice Creepers, of which the following is aspecificompanying drawin This invention relates to an ice creeper, andthe primary object of'my'invention is to furnish the heel of a shoe withanovel decation, reference being had therein to the acvice that willprevent a person from slipping and falling upon'ice orsmoothsurfaces.

Another object of this invention is to provide an ice creeper that canbe permanently worn upon the heel of a shoe and when not in use swung toan inactive position that prevents the ice creeper from injuring thesurface of a floor or tearing a carpet.

A further object of this invention is to provide an ice creeper that ispractically in-' visible when attached to the heel of a shoe combinationand arrangement of parts'to be hereinafter specifically described andthen claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is a sideelevation of'the ice creeper as applied to the heel of a shoe,

showing the creeper in an inactive position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same, showing in dottedlines the ice creeper in position for use. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan ofthe ice creeper in the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveview of the detached heel strap, and Fig. 5 is a perspective view of thecreeper plate. 7

Further describing my invention with reference to the drawing whereinlike numerals denote corresponding parts through- 3 out; 1 denotes theheel of a shoe 2 and secured to the sides of the heel 1 by'screws 3 orother fastening means are curved straps 4." The'forward ends of saidstraps are bent pended claim.

inwardly, as at 5 at the frontwall 6 of the heel, .said strapsterminating in apertured oppositely disposed bearings .7. l v 8 denotesa rod arranged in'the bearings 7 and having the ends thereof reduced toIPatented. Dec. 17,1912. Application filed July 8,1912. Seria1 Nc.708,221. l Y

provide screw threaded shanks 9 upon which are screwed nuts 10 forretaining the rod 8 in said bearings. The rod 8 is stationary within thebearings 7 and the top and bottom sides of said rod are surfaces 11.

12 denotes a creeper plate that hasthe rear edges thereof slitted at thesides, as at 13 and the slitted portions of said plate bent to provideapertured lugs 14. The apertured lugs 14 are oppositely. disposed and atprovided with flat right angles to the creeper plate 12, and said lugsare loosely mounted upon the rod 8, as best shown in Fig. 3. The creeperplate 12 has one side thereof provided with prongs 15 and these prongsare in the formjof riv ets whereby they can be easily and permanentlysecured to the creeper plate. The other side of the creeper plate 12 is.pro vided with a fiatspring 16, said spring having one end thereofriveted orotherwise-connected to the plate, as at 17. The opposite endof the spring 16 engages one of the fiat faces 11 of the rod 8, as bestshown in Fig. 2. The spring 16 serves to hold the creeper plate in anadjusted position, either in an inactive position beneath the arch ofthe shoe sole, as shown by full lines in Fig. 2 or in an active positionas shown by dotted lines m Flg. 2, the latter position of the platebeing beneath theheel 1, with the prongs 15 depending to engage in asmooth surface and prevent the person from slipping and falling. I

It is thought that the utilityof the ice creeper will be apparentwithout further description, and while inthe drawing there isillustrated a preferred embodiment of the,

invention, it is to be understood that the structural elements aresusceptible to such changes as fall within the straps adapted to besecured to the sides off the heel and each having an angle-shaped scopeof the apforward portion abutting against 'and projecting forwardly fromthe front of the heel, the forwardly projectingpartof each angle-shapedportion being insetwwith respect to one side of the heel and forming abearing, a rod having cylindrical ends journaled in and projecting fromsaid bearings and further having flat faces, means mounted upon thecylindrical ends of the rod for 5 connecting it to said bearings, anadjustable creeper plate having one end thereof reduced and providedwith apertured lugs positioned between the forwardly extending parts ofsaid angle-shaped bearings and 10 mounted upon the cylindrical ends ofsaid rod, and a fiat spring fixedly secured to said plate and having anoffset end engaging one of the flat faces of said rod for retaining thecreeper plate in an adjusted position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature 15 in the presence of twoWitnesses.

JOHN SPERLING. Witnesses:

MARY PAPP, JOSEPH Roznnnnwnre.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

